Advocates of complexity theory describe it as a new scientific paradigm. Complexity theory identifies instability and disorder in politics and policy making, and links them to the behaviour of complex systems. It suggests that we shift our analysis from individual parts of a political system to the system as a whole; as a network of elements that interact and combine to produce systemic behaviour. This article explores the use of complexity theory in public policy, highlighting a small literature using the language of complexity directly to describe complex policy-making systems, and a larger literature identifying complexity themes. It then highlights the main problems to be overcome before complexity theory can become truly valuable in politics and policy making.

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Publisher policy allows this work to be made available in this repository. Published in Political Studies Review, Volume 10, Issue 3, pages 346–358, September 2012, by Political Studies Association and Blackwell Publishing. The definitive version is available at www.wileyonlinelibrary.com

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